Ratchet recommendations - Husky tools from USA, Teng / Wera broken

[Danberry]

I'm in the market for a new 3/8" quality ratchet.

I had the old metal handled one and it broke / wore, fitted a new repair kit to it and it didn't last long. I don't like the plastic handled new teng ones or the metal one with the twisty direction instead of the direction lever.

I bought a Wera Zyklop one a 3/4 years ago, said I'd give them a chance as a quality replacement for my Teng. Well it's goosed now, there's play in the mechanism, when you grap the male end the whole thing moves lopsided so the ratchet sticks when at an angle, break your heart. These look like they can't be opened either so no repair kit I guess. I liked this ratchet as metal, slim and slightly longer handle but I'd rank this as over-rated crap now that its broke so soon. I'm not using it every day and I don't use ratchets as hammers.
I also have experience of their "Joker" spanners and they are dirt, the metal tooth area is a gimmick that broke on the first rusty bolt as I knew it would, and the round ratchet end is too big to fit in small areas, complete crap brand in my experience.


I have often wondered if the likes of Snap-On are worth the money, half thinking of buying one to find out, €150 ex vat I see them at but if they genuinely last 20yrs and are genuinely better quality than Teng / Wera then it'd save in the long run.

I just bought a Halfords Advanced flex head ratchet for €24 on trade, I'm not expecting a €24 item to last a lifetime but at least when it breaks I can just get a replacement. Online reviews have customers saying these ratchets are crap quality compared to some of the older Halfords Advanced, but I needed one now so it'll do as have warranty replacement.

Just wondering if anyone has recommendations, seems very hard to get quality items these days, everything new is crap compared to old. I have used Husky tools, they were imported from America and they are class ratchets, way better than Teng / Wera, but I can't find a way of buying them. They are sold exclusively from Home Depot, does anyone here happen to know of a way to purchase them? I tried amazon usa but there's not much listed on it. These are worth the postage.

Or any other proper good brand ratchet, steel and reverse lever.

[Neilo]

Hazet would be another to look at, very good quality.

[Mark2]

I'm a big fan of HAZET. Fantastic tools.

I've a 3/8 HAZET ratchet and a few snap-on 3/8 ratchets. I hate to admit it because alot of their prices for some stuff is just off the scale, but snap-on ratchets and spanners can't be beaten.

[shaggy]

Wrong time of the year but I look for tools at car boot sales. Not the stalls with loads of modern hand and power tools of dubious manufacture and origin. But the genuine car boot seller clearing a shed or house. I've found most of my spanners and hand tools at these and look for older makes like King :D:D:D:D (I kid you not) Brit tool, Geodore, Teng. The price is right and they were made before quality went to shite.

[markcro]

Wrong time of the year but I look for tools at car boot sales. Not the stalls with loads of modern hand and power tools of dubious manufacture and origin. But the genuine car boot seller clearing a shed or house. I've found most of my spanners and hand tools at these and look for older makes like King (I kid you not) Brit tool, Geodore, Teng. The price is right and they were made before quality went to shite.

Yeah my Dad has King D1ck tools from the '50s and '60s. Real quality. I use a Draper socket set that he bought in the 1980s. Al the tool snobs go "Draper ". But I do use the racket as a hammer, put a 1m extension bar on it, hit it with a hammer, and it is still working fine. The set also has imperial and metric sockets. So that is a good idea about looking for some old gear (if you have the time).

[Tristan]

Danberry , unless you're exceptionally hard on them, and using them a LOT, no need for Snap On or similar.
I used to be a Facom tool snob, but I've been using Teng and the likes for years without iss, and I'm using them in work, daily.

I'd sooner buy a new one every few years, than pay extortionate amounts.

[DaveM-Sport]

I've three 53" boxes of teng stuff as they're great value compared to Snap-on and everything is organised in the trays.

But.. the teng rachets are abit shite to be honest with getting jammed a little at times etc.

The halfords advanced rachets unless quality has gone downhill recently are very hard to beat for the price. Its nobodies business, the abuse I used put the ones I used have before I started getting other tools.


Snap-on are insane money but have to admit their rachets and spanners are lovely to use. They also have a great selection of tools too and different versions of sockets or spanners that are handy for different jobs.

I just couldn't stomach spending 20-30k on buying and filling a decent sizes box as I'd be annoying unless had mostly the same brand

[gofaster_s13]

The only things that I would buy again from Snap on are their tool boxes and their ratchets(the inners of which are made by and are 100% interchangeable with Bahco dual 80 ratchets btw) for socketry, Hazet and Stahlwille are my go to, for new purchases, Spanner’s Hazet and Elora, screw drivers are Wera, Knipex for pliers and as mentioned above car boot sales for older hand tool from the likes of Heyco, Elora, Belzer, Dowidat, Matador etc

[markcro]

As someone once said. it's better to have a shed full of cheap tools, than a shed with just one expensive tool.

[philb]

I've a old halfords advanced set, probably its 15 years old. All amazing quality. Probably partially due to the low cost I've given the 1/2 ratchet awful abuse. Pipe, hammer, etc.
A pity if the quality has dipped, still the no hassle replacement is nice.
Agree on teng they just arent worth the money. Hazet are good but quite pricey. You can get home depot to deliver to an post addresspal, I have done it but you will get hit with customs. May be worth it if you have a reliable goto brand.

[markcro]

Yeah I have Halfords Advanced stuff from about 10-15 years ago. And the spanners and rachets have gotten plenty of smacks with a lump hammer, and all are still going strong. The only thing that I broke was a breaker bar. But in fairness I had a 1m pipe on it and two of us jumping on it! And they still replaced it, no questions asked. Can't go wrong.

[Username]

I'm the third generation to own my current go-to ratchet, a Hazet. I've bought plenty more of their stuff over the years and I'd have no problem recommending them.

The Halfords Advanced range is good too, especially if you have a trade card with them. It's handy that the repair kits are easily/cheaply available.

[Mark2]

If I could only have one, I'd probably go for the hazet too. Smoothest mechanism. One thing that annoys me about the snap-on is the resistance in the ratchet system. If a nut for example is loose but still too tight to undo with fingers, the snap-on will definitely have the first tendancy out of them all to wind it back on.

I use the TENG or bluepoint for dirty work. The rubber handle on the snap-on gets destroyed with oily hands.

TENG wasnt made today or yesterday!

[Danberry]

I've a old halfords advanced set, probably its 15 years old. All amazing quality. Probably partially due to the low cost I've given the 1/2 ratchet awful abuse. Pipe, hammer, etc.
A pity if the quality has dipped, still the no hassle replacement is nice.
Agree on teng they just arent worth the money. Hazet are good but quite pricey. You can get home depot to deliver to an post addresspal, I have done it but you will get hit with customs. May be worth it if you have a reliable goto brand.

I didn't know getting things posted from the home depot to Ireland via An Post was an option! Is this from experience? I'm trying to look into this and can't even get the website to open without using my vpn and picking Canada as the country. Then when the site loads it's immediately popping up that home depot wants to know your location. I get access denied message without vpn.


Some good replies in this thread, I never heard of Hazet before, might look them up. I have a lot of Teng stuff, has been pretty much my choice this 20 yrs but to be honest imo Teng have gotten very expensive and and a bit over rated imo. I wouldn't buy there plastic ratchets anyway.

[gofaster_s13]

If anyone feels like splashing out on what are probably the best tools available I’ll just leave this link here.

https://neprostools.com